Improvement in compound condensing apparatus for marine steam-engines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

l. HUUPT.

.l m a n... l S e n r a M r 0 f S .d t u as Pn... ,an D..I g D." AF. g ns n e .U vn 0 C .U n, U 0 D. m` 0 C Patented oct. 19,1875.

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N. PETERS, PNOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

2Sheets-Sheet2. J1. HuuPT.

Compound Cnndensng Apparatus for Marine Steam- Engines.

NO. 168,901. Patented 0ct.19,18-75.

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' fM #MW NITED S'.rrrlrlts PATENT OFIGE JOHN nouer, or sPnINGTo'wN,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VCOMPOUND` CONDENSING APPARATUS PQR MARYINE STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification formingrpart of Letters Patent No. 168,901, dated October19, 1875,; application filed July 29, 1875.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HOUPT, of Springtown, in the county of Bucksandv State ot` Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in theCompound Condensing Apparatus for Marine Steam-Engines, o f which thefollowing is a specification:

My improvement' relates more especially to the compound condensingapparatus for marine steam-engines for certain improvements in whichLetters Patent were granted to me, dated September 15, 1874, andnumbered 154,951. Insaid patented4 apparatus a primary jet-condenser andan expander are used, which, in `rny present improvement, are dispensedwith, and a primary surface-condenser, with peculiarly-constructedsteam-dividing valves, and a plurality of secondary surface,- condensingcases, substituted between the steam-cylinder of the engine and thetertiary or fsave-all surface-condenser, as will here-- inafter be fullyand clearly described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, (ontwo sheets of paper,) in which- Figure l represents the primarysurface-condenser and the peculiarly-constructed steam dividing valves,in connection with the steamcylinder ot' the engine, and the necessarysalt' and fresh water pumps; Fig. 2, the plurality ot'surface-condensing cases and the tertiary condenser, together with theairpump, hotwells, circulating-pump, and the mouth otl thehot-Water-boiler supply-pipe. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section ot'the primary surface-condenser on a horizontal line with theinlet-openings for the-cold sea-water; and Fig. 4represents the samesection ot' Fig. 3, in connection with the pipes communicating therewiththrough the ships side.'

To insure a free and prompt working ot' the outlet-valve g5 in theufpper dividing valvechamber G, (see Fig. 1,). l construct a thin, long,narrow tongue or valve-plate ot' springsteel, gil-say, three or fourtimes longer than it is widetapered or thinned down, so as to serve as aspring-hinge at its back end, which is then secured down rmly to across-barred brass grating, which forms the valve-seat, substan tiallyas represented at g", (see Fig. 1,) and also having a cross-barred brassguard, g, set above the steel-plate valve, so as to prevent thelatter-from rising too high-pr, say, not much higher than one, two, orthree inchesat its t'ront end, according to the magnitude ot' works. Theinlet-openings r1.3, Fig. 4, for the cold circulating sea-water throughthe side of the ship into the condensing-cases, respectively, areprovided with regulating-valves or stop-cocks r4, to regulate thequantity of cold circulating sea-water required for the secondarysurfacecondensing cases R R, Fig. 2, to cool down and condense theirportion ot* the exhaust steam to a temperature a little below that ofboilingwater under a partial vacuum, as hereinafter will be fullydescribed and set forth. rllhe said device is also intended to regnlatethe quantity ot the circulating water required -for thel tertiarysurface-condenser or save-all S, and the stop-cock 'r4 also serves toshut out the sea-water securely when the latter .is not wanted forimmediate use in their respective condensing-cases. The 'crank H, whichoperates the cut-off slide g4 has two or more sockets, whereby thewrist-pin may be shifted to give either a longer or shorter stroke, asoccasion may require, to enable the engineer to adjust and time saidslide-valve g4 to divide the exhaust steam coming from the cylinder Aproperly between the primary condenser B, (see Fig. 1',) and thesecondaries E R, Fig. '2. The said crank H is geared so as to make tworevolutions during a single rotation ot' the main crank-shaft ot' theengine, so as to divide the exhaust steam coming from either end ot' thesteam-cylinder A.

The operation ot the slide-valve g4 must be adjusted so as to be closedat the time when the exhaust-valve at either end ot' the steamcylinderbegins to open and to discharge the exhaust steam into the lowerdividing valvechamberG, (see Fig. 1,) at which time a very littlepreponderance in the pressure ot'. the exhaust steam against the underside ot' the thin `steel-plate flap-valve will raise the front end ofthesame to its limited opening between the valve-seat and the guard aboveit, as described, and represented at g5 in Fig. 1, thus allowing a largeportion ot' the exhaust steam and heat to be drawn oftl by the secondarysurface-condensing apparatus, (see Fig. 2;) but the moment the cut-ott'lslide-valveg4 opens communication between the steam-cylinder A and theprimary condenser B then the outlet -valve g5 will be closed downimmediately onto its valve-seat gs (see Fig. 1) by the preponderance ofthe pressure of the exhaust steam on the upper side of said ap-valveplate g5, and there Will be only a comparatively small remnant ofexpanded vapor left to be condensed in the primary condenser B,

.and,.consequently, a more perfect vacuum will be produced in front ofthe-steam-piston of the cylinder A than can be economically affordedwhen all the exhaust steam and heat must be cooled down and condensed bythe same condenser, and to produce a good vacuum in front of the pistonat the same time.

The primary, secondary, and tertiary surface-condensers, represented,respectively, by B, It B, and S in the drawing, being each furnishedWith a plurality of spirally-coiled surface-condensing tubes similar tothose of an ordinary still-Worm, and the ends of said tubes Ablepacking, secured by tightening up the screw-nuts on the ends of thetubes, and thus close` the jam-rings of the tubes onto the packing inthe bottom of the stufing-boxes, making the perfectly-tight Water-jointsbefore' stated, and representedat B, Fig. 1.

Having thus described and 'set forth a special form and construction ofsurface-condensers, which I believe to be the best for my compoundcondensing` apparatus for marine steam-engines, I would remark that anyother suitable form and construction may possibly answer the samepurposes when placed in combination substantially in the same manner asprimary, secondary, and tertiary condensers for marine steam-engines.

The larger portion ofthe exhaust steam and heat from thecylinder A,which passes through the dividing valve-chambers G G, Fig. l, into theysecondary surface-condensing cases R R, Fig. 2, is therein cooled downto a temperature' which will' be a little below' that of boiling Water,(under a partial vacuum, as hereinbefore stated vand the hot water ofcondensation drops down and passes off through the pipes r1 and r3 intothe hot-Well W below to supply the boilers (not shown) with hot freshWater at a much higher temperature than can be afforded by the ordinarysurface-condensers, When depending upon them for agood vacnum before thepiston of the steam-cylinder. The hotvapor from the secondarysurface-condensing cases R R being drawn olf by the action of theair-pump T through the pipe r into the tertiary surface-condenser orsaveall S, is therein condensed to save the remnant of fresh Water forthe steam-boilers, and drops down into the hot-Well W, and is then drawnoil' by the air-pump T and forced up into the hot-Well U for supplyingthe steamboilers with hot fresh water, `substantially as represented inthe drawing. The surface-condensing cases, as represented at B, R R, andS in Figs. l and 2, are comparatively small, and detachably connectedtogether, and all of them made from the same patterns, and consequentlyany one of them can be readily detached and substituted by another whenit becomes foul or out of order, and thus delay for repairs is entirelyavoided.

\'Vhen the engine is Worked at a light pressure ot steam, as isfrequently the case, there will, in that case, be less cooling-surfacerequired by the secondary surface-condensers, and having a plurality ofcomparatively small surface-condensing cases connected With theexhaust-steam tube of the engine-say, from four to six or more,according to the size of the Works, instead of two only-as representedby R R, Fig. 2, then any one or more of said plurality of cases may bethrottled off by any suitable arrangement of throttle-Valves orstop-cocks, so as to regulate the quantity of cold circulating sea-Waterin the remainder. of the cases, to reduce the temperature of the exhauststeam Within them to a temperature a little below boiling water under apartial vacuum, and thus return the fresh water of condensation to thesteam-boilers at a temperature much higher than can be'afforded by theordinaryvsuriace, or even by jet, condensers.

I claim as my inventionl. The thin spring Hap-valve g5, of steel,constructed as described, in combination With the valve-seat g and guardgi, substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth anddescribed.

2. The primary surface-condenser B, in combination with thedividing-valves in the chamber G G and 4the secondary and tertiarysurface-condensers R R and S, substantially as set forth and described.

JOHN HOUPT.

Witnesses:

. BENJ. MoRIsoN,

WM. H. MoRIsoN.

